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A Ho Chi Minh City street vendor is being treated for brain injuries after hitting his head on the road when a police officer knocked him down for disobeying orders.

A video taken by a passer-by and posted on the Internet Thursday shows Sergeant Major Luong Viet Ha of the District 6 police pulling the vendor by his lapels after being half-pushed away when he ordered the man to bring his cart to the police station for public encroachment.

The 27-year-old Phong, whose head is seen hitting the ground, is under treatment for a hematoma.

Ha said he and three other officers were preventing encroachment on Pham Phu Thu Street by vendors Thursday morning, and dozens had fled on seeing them.

They managed to stop Phong’s cart with guava and ordered him to bring it to a nearby police station.

Ha said he only accosted Phong when he tried to flee.

“Regretfully, my action was a bit too strong, causing him to hit his head.”

Ha said he had apologized to the vendor’s family and promised to cover his medical expenses.

Many people at the scene rounded on him for knocking Phong down, saying the man was just trying to make a living and was not stealing or robbing anyone.